The present invention relates generally to a support disk assembly useful for rotatable mounting alongside another support disk assembly as a bearing for rotatably supporting a shaft, particularly for example a rotating shaft supporting the rotor of an open end spinning machine.
In open end spinning machines, the spinning rotor is mounted for high speed spinning operation on a driven support shaft which may be supported for rotation by a bearing arrangement having a plurality of support disks or wheels rotatably arranged in side-by-side pairs on parallel axes to define a nip between the disk pairs in which the rotor shaft is supported. Typically, each support disk or wheel includes a disk body having a central hub for mounting on a supporting shaft and a peripheral rim arrangement which supports an annular tread member for peripheral frictional rolling contact with the rotor shaft as it is driven. Typically, the tread member is fabricated of a wear-resistant elastomeric material which is permanently attached to the rim arrangement by adhesive or by a vulcanization process. Due to the high operating speeds at which the rotor shaft of such open end spinning machines typically run, the tread member wears rapidly, requiring periodic replacement. Disadvantageously, however, the adhesive or vulcanized attachment of the tread to the support disk assembly makes it difficult to remove the worn tread economically for replacement with a new tread. Accordingly, in the practice, once the tread becomes worn, the entire disk assembly is discarded and replaced with a new disk assembly.